Star Wars: The Acolyte‘s Manny Jacinto has expressed hope for the return of his Sith Lord villain, The Stranger, despite the Disney+ show’s cancellation. Released in 2024, The Acolyte follows former Jedi Padawan Osha Aniseya (Amanda Stenberg) and Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) on a quest for the truth after Osha is accused of killing a Jedi Master.
Leslie Headland’s The Acolyte ran for only eight episodes, marking the first Star Wars TV series to be canceled after one season. Unfortunately, The Acolyte‘s cancellation was due to low viewership and production costs, as well as the divisive reaction from Star Wars fans, with the show receiving a 19% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes from review bombing.
Despite the show’s fate, in a recent interview with ComicBook, The Acolyte‘s Manny Jacinto revealed that he would love for his character — the unᴀssuming smuggler Qimir, who is actually the Sith Lord behind the killings — to return. Speaking of The Stranger’s comeback, Jacinto stated: “I would love to run it back. I love that character, that franchise, that team.”
Previously, it was revealed The Acolyte was planned for three seasons, which would have completed the story following season 1’s cliffhanger ending. However, while the show’s cancellation has thwarted those plans, Jacinto went on to say that, “Star Wars is a big universe, galaxy, what have you. But if the fans want it, I’m down and ready to go.”
What Manny Jacinto’s Comments Mean For Star Wars
The fact that Jacinto is onboard to reprise the role of The Acolyte‘s Sith Lord is promising, as his character was quite an interesting addition. As the Star Wars TV show was originally intended to have multiple seasons, there is certainly a lot of lore and story surrounding Qimir that could be explored in future Star Wars projects.
However, as Jacinto points out, his Sith Lord character’s return is purely dependent on “if the fans want it.” Unfortunately, The Acolyte‘s negative reception caused division within the Star Wars fanbase, with many shunning the show. Therefore, it doesn’t look likely that Manny Jacinto’s Qimir will reappear because many fans simply aren’t interested, as shown by The Acolyte‘s low viewership.
Our Take On The Stranger / Qimir’s Potential Return
The Acolyte provided a new story from the end of the High Republic, a previously unexplored era of Star Wars, 100 years before Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Thus, there was a lot of pressure on the Star Wars TV series to set up lore that would fit within the canon we already know from the franchise’s later installments.
As a consequence, The Acolyte was always going to be divisive. That being said, The Stranger is one of the most compelling parts of the TV series. Qimir’s rejection of the Jedi Order and complex relationship with Osha make him a fascinating character, and his unsettling design and presence only add to the mystery.
I personally enjoyed Manny Jacinto’s Sith Lord, who is a figure less like Darth Vader and more akin to a supernatural horror figure. His combat style was refreshing to see, and I found The Stranger and his lineage to be the most intriguing aspect of The Acolyte — so hopefully, we could still see him return, even if it’s only in comics.
Sources: ComicBook, Rotten Tomatoes
